The EIU view

The Socialist Party of Albania won an outright majority in the June 2017 election, earning it a second consecutive term in office. Having become an EU candidate in June 2014, Albania is expected to receive by mid-2019 a conditional date for opening EU accession talks, because it has started to implement the required judicial reforms. We forecast that real GDP growth will moderate, from an estimated 4.3% in 2018 to an average of 3.6% per year in 2019-23.

Parliament adopts tighter rules on gambling
Under the new law, which will come into force in 2019, betting shops and casinos will be allowed to operate only in non-residential areas, including tourist resorts and five-star hotels.